Iranian leader Ali Khamenei has said that "no one can stop resistance forces" if Israel keeps up its bombardment of Gaza in response to the shock October 7 attack by Hamas.
"If the crimes of the Zionist (Israeli) regime continue, Muslims and resistance forces will become impatient, and no one can stop them," Khamenei said on Tuesday.
Iran has been in close contact with its regional allies — including Lebanese group Hezbollah and pro-Tehran Iraqi militias — since Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel, breaking through the heavily fortified border from Gaza.
Israel has responded with a devastating air and artillery bombardment of Hamas-governed Gaza that has killed more than 2,850 Palestinians, most of them civilians.
The number of dead on the Israeli side stood at more than 1,400 people.
"No matter what the Zionist regime does, it cannot make up for the scandalous failure it suffered," Khamenei said.
He reiterated Iran’s stance in calling Israel's assault "genocide” and urged the prosecution of the Israeli government for its killing of civilians in Gaza.
Israel has deployed tens of thousands of troops to its border with Gaza in preparation for a full-scale ground invasion.
Israel has told some 1.1 million Gazans — nearly half the territory's population of 2.4 million — to leave the north of the densely populated enclave, in anticipation of the operation.
Tehran has repeatedly warned that a ground invasion of Gaza will be met with a response on other fronts -- prompting fears of a wider conflict that could draw in other countries.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian spoke of possible "pre-emptive action" against Israel by the "resistance front" while President Ebrahim Raisi said time was running out to reach a political solution.
Tehran, which financially and militarily backs Hamas militants, celebrated the Hamas operation but insisted it was not involved.
